The present invention relates to an image processing system which is provided with an image enchasing and synthesizing function for setting an image in a trimmed area of an extracted original sheet into a masked area on a base original sheet and synthesizing the images of the two original sheets.
FIG. 9 is a chart which illustrates an example of the construction of a conventional color digital copying machine (for example, such a copying machine described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 2-223275), in which an image input terminal (IIT) 100 reads a color original sheet as decomposed into the three primary colors, namely, black (B), green (G), and red (R) of light by means of charge coupled device (CCD) line sensors and converts the read color signals into digital image data, and an image output terminal (IOT) 115 performs exposure with a laser beam and development and thereby reproduces the color image. Then, the devices ranging from an equivalent neutral density (END) converting circuit 101 to an IOT interface 110, which are positioned between the IIT 100 and the IOT 115, form an editorial processing system for such image data as mentioned above (image processing system: IPS), and this image processing system (IPS) converts such image data in B, G, and R into data in the colors of the coloring materials, namely, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) and feeds the IOT 115 with a coloring material signal corresponding to the particular color to be developed in each cycle of development.
Also, the IIT 100 reads the image data on each of the primary colors, B, G, and R in the size of 16 dots per mm for one pixel by means of a CCD line sensor and puts out the data in 24 bits (which are composed of eight bits for each of the three colors in 256 chromatic gradations). The CCD line sensors, which are respectively provided with a filter for B, G, or R on their top surfaces and have a length of 300 mm at the density of 16 dots per mm, perform a scan at the rate of 16 lines per mm at the processing speed of 190.5 mm/sec, and therefore puts out the read data on each of the colors at a speed of approximately 15 M pixels per second. Then, the IIT 100 performs a log conversion of the analog data on the pixels for B, G, and R, thereby converting the information based on the reflection factor into information on density and further converts the density information into digital data.
The image processing system (IPS) receives as input the signals on B, G, and R as subjected to a color decomposition from the IIT 100 and performs various kinds of data processing operations in order to enhance the quality of reproduction of the colors, the quality of reproduction of the chromatic gradations, the quality of reproduction of the details of images, and so forth, and converts the coloring material signals on the development process colors into on/off signals, to apply the signals obtained by this conversion to the IOT 115. The END converting module 101 makes adjustments (conversion) to form color signals as subjected to gray balancing, and a color masking module 102 converts the signals subjected to the gray balancing process into signals corresponding to the quantities of the coloring materials in Y, M, and C, by performing matrix arithmetic operations on the color signals on B, G, and R. An original sheet size detecting module 103 is a module which performs the detection of the size of the original sheet at the time of a pre-scan and a platen color erasure (frame erasure) at the time of an original sheet reading scan, and a color converting module 104 performs a conversion of a specified color in a specified area in accordance with an area signal fed to it from an area image control module 111. Then, an under-color removal (UCR) and black generating module 105 is a module which generates an adequate amount of black K, so that turbidity will not be caused in the colors, and reduces the process colors Y, M, and C by their respective equivalent amounts in accordance with the amount of the generated K and also serves as a gate for the K-signal and the signals as obtained on the process colors Y, M, and C after they are subjected to the under-color removal. A space filter 106 is a non-linear digital filter which is provided with the function for rectifying a blur and the function for removing a moire, and a tone reproduction control (TRC) module 107 performs such processes as density control, contrast control, negative-positive reversal, and color balancing for improving the quality of reproduced images. A reduction and magnification processing module 108 performs reducing and magnifying operations in the main scanning direction, and the reducing and magnifying operations in the subsidiary scanning direction are performed through adjustment of the scanning speed on the original sheet. A screen generator 109 converts the coloring material signals on the process colors expressed in multiple chromatic gradations into signals turned into on/off signals formed in binary values in accordance with the chromatic gradations and puts out the resulting signals, and these coloring material signals thus turned into binary signals are applied to the IOT 115 through the IOT interface module 110. Then, the area image control module 111 has an area generating circuit and a switch matrix, and the editing control module, which has an area command memory (plane memory) 112, a color palette video switch circuit 113, a font buffer 114, and so forth, performs multifarious editing controls.
An area image control module 111 has a construction by which it is capable of setting seven rectangular areas and their order of priority in the area generating circuit, and area control information will be set in the switch matrix in correspondence with the individual areas. The available control information includes information on color conversion, color modes, namely, monochromatic color or full colors, etc., information for the selection of modulations, such as those for photographs and characters, information for the selection of tone reproduction control (TRC), information for the selection of the screen generator, and so forth, and these types of control information are used for the control of the color masking module 102, the color converting module 104, the UCR and black generating module 105, the space filter 106, and the tone reproduction control (TRC) module 107. Moreover, the switch matrix may be set up with software.
The editing control module is a module which makes it possible to perform coloring of an outline drawing, by which the module reads an original sheet with a graph not in a rectangular shape but in a circular shape and paints out a specified area, which is not limited as to its shape, with a specified color, and, working with area commands in four bits written to four plane memories, sets editing commands at individual points on the original sheet in four bits on the four plane memories.
FIG. 10 is a chart illustrating an example of the construction of the plane memories, and this example shows a construction comprised of a total of six planes of memories, namely, two planes in binary values for works and four planes for picture drawing. As the plane memories are used to set commands for processing editing jobs on a given area, their memory capacity is reduced by reducing the resolving power to four dots per mm. Therefore, the plane memories in this example do not have such a high resolving power as will be fit for the input image screen, and these plane memories are constructed in such a manner as to be formed of four planes of memories having a capacity equivalent to a sheet in the Japanese standard A4 size measuring 432 mm in its length in the subsidiary scanning direction and 300 mm in the main scanning direction and as to be capable of sending out those colors and those patterns which correspond to the bit images of the editing commands written to the four planes of memories. Therefore, these plane memories are capable of performing such processing operations in 2.sup.4, i.e., sixteen different ways. The functions to be performed may be divided roughly into two types, which are "closed area coloring" (outline drawing painting), by which the blank area inside a closed area containing one specified point is painted out with an arbitrarily selected color or pattern, and "rectangular area coloring", by which the blank area inside a rectangular area defined by two points is painted out with an arbitrarily selected color or pattern. These two functions are applied in such various manners as coloring an area inside a frame, which is performed by specifying one point within the particular area, color conversion, which is performed by specifying an area with markers and converting black on a black and white original sheet, which is taken as the object of the processing operation, into an arbitrarily selected color, shadowing or an application of a mesh pattern, which retains the images of the original sheet, masking, which paints out the inside area of an area with white (forming a blank or transparent space), trimming, which, on the contrary, paints out the region outside of a specified area with white, a specified movement of an area, which works in a way similar to extraction, and painting, which does not leave any image of the original sheet in the specified area.
FIG. 11 is a chart showing examples of correspondences between the particulars of drawings on the plane memories and the area commands. The plane PW for a given work will, for example, take into itself the data in binary values at the time of a scan for outline painting or will take into itself a marker area at the time of a marker scan. The plane PM for a work is used for performing the image drawing operation over an area for an outline drawing coloring operation and also for the formation of an extracted area. Moreover, the planes P3 through 0, which are to be used for setting up commands thereon, form bit patterns into area commands, and, for example, the correspondences of the particulars of images drawn on the planes P3 through 0 to the area commands in such
a case will be as shown in FIG. 11. In specific terms, it is assumed here that an area command is to be composed of four bits, which are "P3, P2, P1, and P0," respectively, and the area command for the area (1) in FIG. 11 will have "0" on the plane P3 while it has "1" on each of the planes P2, P1, and P0 and will therefore be "0111.sub.T " (07.sub.H), and the command for the area (2), which has "1" on the planes P3 and P1, will be "1010.sub.B "(0A.sub.H), and the area command for the area (3), which has "0" on each of all the planes, will be "0000.sub.B " (00.sub.H).
The digital copying machine mentioned above is capable of producing image data in multiple chromatic gradations as processed in accordance with their type by the processing operations performed by the IPS, such as sharp images rendered with edge emphasis in the case of characters or the like, smoothed images produced by removal of moires and mesh points in the case of half-tone images like photographs, and color images attaining a high level of fidelity in reproduction with the vividness of colors properly adjusted, and, additionally, the copying machine thus operating with the IPS is not merely capable of performing such operations as trimming (i.e., extraction of an image) and masking (erasure of an image), as a matter of course, but also capable of performing a rich variety of editing functions, such as an insertion of a logogram, coloring, painting, color conversion, negative-positive reversal, size reduction/magnification, shift, and synthesis, in the course of processing of an original sheet. As compared with this IPS, the image input terminal (IIT) reads the signals representing the images on the original sheet as decomposed into the three primary colors, R (red), G (green), and B (blue) and thereafter converts the signals into digital signals, and then puts out the digital signals thus obtained. The image output terminal (IOT) puts out the digital signals by superimposing images in mesh points formed of the individual coloring materials in yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) on the signals. Therefore, a color image processing apparatus, such as this color digital copying machine, employs developing devices for the coloring materials in the individual colors mentioned above and processes the full color data obtained by reading the original sheet at each time, performing scanning operations repeated four times.
FIG. 12 presents a chart showing the waveforms for a pre-scan and a copy scan to be performed in case the image enchasing and synthesizing function is to be performed, and FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) present charts illustrating the manner how an original sheet is to be placed in case the image enchasing and synthesizing function is to be performed.
One of the editing functions performed by the color digital copying machine mentioned above is an image enchasing and synthesizing function. The image enchasing and synthesizing function consists of taking a first original sheet (namely, a base original sheet) as a background picture and enchasing an image in an extracted area (namely, a trimmed area) specified on a second original sheet (namely, an extracted original sheet) into the specified enchasing area (namely, a masked area) in the background picture. To perform this image enchasing and synthesizing function, the system in the copying machine first finds the paper size by a pre-scanning operation and then performs a copy scan based on the paper size and the specified area.
As a copy scan is to be performed on the base original sheet and the extracted original sheet, the copying machine will perform scanning operations in four cycles in order to transfer the toner images in the process colors, M, C, Y, and K as shown in FIG. 12 for each of the above-mentioned original sheets if the images to be processed are in full colors, but, the copying machine will finish its performance of the image enchasing and synthesizing function with only one cycle of scanning operation since it transfers only the toner image in black K in case the image to be processed is a black and white image. In other words, the copying machine performs copying operations for two sheets.
In the course of these operations, the copying machine performs a masking operation by performing scanning operations over the entire area of the base original sheet while it performs a trimming operation and an image shifting operation by performing scanning operations on the extracted area as specified on the extracted original sheet. In the time in which these operations are performed, the transfer unit in the IOT inhibits the discharge of the copy paper even if the copying operations for the first original sheet are finished and holds the copy paper until the copying operations for the second sheet are completed. The copying machine thus produces an enchased and synthesized image by performing an organic combination of the area specifying operation, the pre-scanning operation, the copy scanning operation, the masking operation, the trimming operation, the image shifting operation, and the paper discharge inhibiting operation in the manner described above.
In the specification of an area for a case in which the image enchasing and synthesizing function is to be performed, a base original sheet 652 and an extracted original sheet 653 are placed on the editing pad 650, and information on coordinates at two points, namely, P.sub.11 (x.sub.11, y.sub.11), P.sub.12 (x.sub.12, y.sub.12), P.sub.21 (x.sub.21, y.sub.21), and P.sub.22 (x.sub.22, y.sub.22) with respect to the enchasing area (namely, the masked area) 654 and the extracted area 655 of the two original sheets are entered as shown in FIG. 13 (a). On the basis of the information thus entered on the coordinates, the system determines a rectangular area which has these two points P.sub.11 and P.sub.12 as the summit points at the opposite angles, displaying this rectangular form as painted out, for example, in a position in the bit map area in correspondence with the values of the coordinates on the editing pad 650 and also displaying the extracted area 655 in the same manner. In addition, reference numeral 651 designates a registration position.
Subsequently, the magnification for the extracted area is set by operations on the magnification setting buttons. For example, in case "100%" has been selected out of the three available parameters, "100%," "automatic magnification," and "arbitrarily selected variable magnification," the system will set the image of the extracted area in its original size in the enchasing area and will thereby form a synthesized image, but, in case the parameter, "automatic magnification," has been selected, the system will enchase the enchasing area with the image of the extracted area, as differently magnified on the basis of the magnification in the direction x and the magnification in the direction y both of which the system determines on the basis of the size of the enchasing area and the size of the extracted area, and thus forms a synthesized image there. Further, in case "arbitrarily selected variable magnification" has been selected, the system magnifies or reduces the image of the extracted area at the magnification set up for it and then forms a synthesized image by setting the extracted image in the enchasing area.
When the start button is depressed, with the base original sheet 652 and the extracted original sheet 653 placed with its face down on the platen glass 660 as shown in FIG. 13 (b) upon completion of the area specification and the setup of the parameter, the system operates the imaging unit so as to move for a pre-scan under the entire surface of the platen glass, thereby determining the scanning range for the base original sheet 652 and also determining the size of the paper. Subsequently, the system separately performs copying operations for two sheets, namely, the base original sheet 652 and the extracted original sheet 653. In addition, reference numeral 661 designates a registration position.
On the first sheet in the copying operations, the system performs an operation for masking the enchasing area 654 on the base original sheet 652 in the range of the scanning operation based on the size of the base original sheet 652 and copies the image on this base original sheet onto a sheet of paper in the same size as that of the base original sheet 652. Therefore, in case the color mode is full colors rendered in four colors, the imaging unit repeatedly performs scanning operations four times in the range of the base original sheet 652 as shown in FIG. 12, and the system performs a masking operation on the data of the enchasing area 654 out of the image data and copies the image of the base original sheet, with the part of the enchasing area 654 masked, onto a sheet of paper in the same size as that of the base original sheet 652.
Moreover, in the ordinary copying operations, a sheet of paper with a copy formed thereon will be discharged upon completion of the copying operation for one sheet, but, in the case of the copying operations in the performance of this enchasing and synthesizing function, the system will shift to the copying operation for the next sheet, namely, the second sheet, while the copied paper is held in the transfer unit since the system inhibits the discharge of the first sheet of copy paper, as mentioned above, even if the copying operation for the first sheet is completed.
On the second sheet processed in the next copying operation, the system performs an partial moving operation for the extracted area 655 of the extracted original sheet 653. That is to say, the imaging unit performs scanning four times in the range leading farther to the point P.sub.22 in the state in which it has moved, as shown in FIG. 12, from the home position to the position of the point P.sub.21 shown in FIG. 13 (b). Then, the system extracts the image data in the range of the extracted area 655 out of these image data, magnifies or reduces the extracted image at the magnification set up in advance, and performs the processing operation for moving the image to the position of the enchasing area 654, to put out the image data thus obtained. In this regard, the operation for moving the extracted image as thus magnified or reduced is performed by the IPS in the main scanning direction but by the IIT in the subsidiary scanning direction. As the sheet of paper on which a copy of the first original sheet has been produced is held in the transfer unit while these moving operations are being performed, a copying operation for making a copy of the extracted original sheet on the same copy paper will produce he image of the extracted area 655 of the extracted original sheet with a high degree of accuracy in the enchasing area 654 as set on the base original sheet 652.
However, the enchasing and synthesizing function performed in the manner described above with the conventional color digital copying machine can produce a synthesized copy of images only after the copying machine performs the copying operations substantially for two sheets of copies, and the conventional machine has to take a longer period of time for producing a copy of enchased and synthesized images. In addition, the enchasing and synthesizing function performed with the conventional copying machine is faced with the problem that it can perform the enchasing and synthesizing function in no way other than enchasing a rectangular area (an extracted area) of the extracted original sheet into a rectangular area (an enchasing area) on the base original sheet.